Tool joint



July 18, 1933.` L. F, BAASH 1,918,443

TOOL JOINT Filed July 11, 1930 "WW/Wm las Patented July 18, 1933 PATENT 4OFFICE LAWRENCE F. BAASH, DOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ToonJoIN'r appncation med July 11, 1930. serial no. 467,156.

U This invention relates to a joint for connecting tubular members and relates more particularly to a tool joint for connecting or I joining two lengths of drill pipe, or the like. It is a general object of the invention to provide a simple, practical, and effective tool joint that is adapted to pass fluid under extremely high pressures without leakage.

.10- When drilling wells to great depths'with the rotary method of drilling fluid is forced through the drill pipe at extremely high pressures. The common or usual tool joints employed for connecting the sections of drill n pipe embody comparatively heavy screw threaded connections which often permit the circulating fluid to leak frm the joints.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tool joint that incorporates the necessary strength and other vfeatures essential to devices of this character and includes means forpreventing leakage of luid undgr/ high pressures from the joint.

It is another object of the invention t` provide a tool joint thatembodies an improved and practical packing means that is effective in preventing the leakage of fluid from the threads on the pin and in the socket of the sections of the joint.

Another object of the invention is to provide a packing means of the character men-- tioned for embodiment in av tool joint that is actuated by the fluid under pressure passed by the tool joint.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tool joint embodying means for pack- .ing between the; sections of the joint that does not limit or restrict the iow of the circulation fluid.

40 It is a further object of the invention to rovide a packing means for preventing the eakage of fluid from 4between the sections ofa tool joint th'at may be readily embodied in the usual or common forms of tool'joints with slight inexpensive modifications.

Other objects and features of my .invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a t ical form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is vhad to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal detailed sectional 'view of the 'tool joint construction provided by the present invention. Fig. 2 1s an en- 55 larged longitudinal detailed sectional view f\ of a portion of the joint illustrating the packing means included in the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a transverse detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 5 3--3 onFi 1.

It is a eature-of the present invention thatQM the packing means provided for preventing t e leakage of fluid from between the two sections of a tool joint may be incorporated orv embodied in the common or usual forms of tool joints with only simple and inexpensive additions and modifications which do not in any way weaken or com licate the construction. Throughout the ibllowing detailed description the invention will be disclosed as embodied in a typical .tool joint construction for connecting two .sect1onsof drill pipe, or the like. It isto be understood that the invention is not to be taken as limited to the particular type of tool joint illustrated in the drawing, but that it is to be taken as including any features that may fall within the scope of the claims.

The tool joint construction provided by the present invention includes, enerally, a pin section'10 having a screw treaded pin 11, a box or socket section 12 having a screw threaded socket 13 for receiving the pin 11, and means 1 4 for packing between the sections 10 and 12 toprevent. the leakage of illiid from between the pin 11 and the socket Thesections 10 land 12 may be similar, generally, .to the corresponding sections of the typical forms'of tool Ioints. The sections 10 and 11 are inten edprimarily to c onnect two len hs of drill ipe P, or the llxe, and to pass uid between tie two lengths o ipe.

he male or pin section 10 is' provided at one end with means for receivin or connectin with a length ofI drill (pipe and is prov1 ed at its opposite en with the screw threaded pin 11 for connection with the sec- 1.0

tion 12. lin the particular case illustrated in the drawing, the pin section is the upper section ci the tool joint and is provided at its upper end with a screw threaded socket for receiving the screw threaded end of a length of pipe l?. The socket 15 may be tapered upwardly and outwardly to receive the usual tapered screw threaded end of a length of drill pipe. ln accordance with the E@ general practice the section 10 is of comparatively heavy 4construction and is provided with a central longitudinal Huid passage 16: rllie pin 11 projects downwardly from the lower end of the section 10. The pin 11 may 15 be tapered downwardly and inwardly and may be provided with the usual threads for connection with the section 12. ln accordance with the invention a longitudinal or downwardly projecting extension 17 is pro- `2G vided at the lower end of the pin 11. rlhe extension 17 ,is preferably of reduced diameter and is preferably cylindrical and;

smoothly finished. The Huid passage 16 extends longitudinally through the body portion of the section 10, the pin 11, and extension 17 to discharge from the lowerend ofthe extension.

The box or socket section 12 of the joint is provided at its upper end with the tapered screw threaded socket 13 toreceive the pin 11 of the section 10. The section 12 may be of the same external diameter as the. pin section 10 and the upper end 18 of the section l2 may spa against the lower end 19 of the 'section 10 when the pin 11 is fully threaded into the socket 13. A tapered screw threaded socket 20 may be provided at the lower end of the section 12 to receive the screw threaded end of a length P of pipe. A central longitudinal opening 21 is provided in the socket section 12. The opening 21 is provided to receive the extension 17 y.and `is preferably smooth to effectively carry the eX-l gle body of packingz23 arranged in a groove 24 in the extension 17 to seal with the walls of the opening 21. It is to be understood, however, that there may be as many units of sion 17 to engage the walls of the opening 21 as desired or found necessary Without departing from the broader aspects of theinventionf The packing 23 is expansible and may be formed of rubber, rubber composition9 tion illustrated in the drawing there is a sin-v the packing means 14 provided on the exten# Leraars or the like. The packing 23 is adapted to be expanded and maintained in tight sealing engagement with the walls of the opening 21 by the duid under pressure 'passing through the opening 16, as will be hereinafter described.

ln accordance with the preferred form ot the invention the side walls 25 of the groove 24 converge outwardly from the bottom or base 26 of the groove to the exterior o the extension 17 so that the base 26 oit the groove is wider than the outer or open side of the groove. The packing 23 is shaped to eiectively seat in the groove 24 and has tapered or convergent sides 27 to seal against the convergent side walls ot the groove. The outer side or exterior of the packing 23 at the open outer side of the groove 24 is cylindric to edectively engage the walls of the opening 21.

'lhe inventlon provides means whereby the iluid nnder pressure in the opening 16 actuates the packing into edective sealing engagement with the walls of the opening 21. 'lhe meansfor expanding or actuating the packing to seal with the walls of the opening 21 includes an annular groove 30 on the inner side of the packing 23 and one or more openings 31f in the extension 17.communicating between the groove 30 and the opening 16. It is preferred to Jform the groove 30 with concave walls,v as clearly illustratedin Fig.'

is provided on the inner side of the packing 23 that is exposed to the fluid under pressure to cause the `packing to be effectively urged through the outer sideof the groove 24 into e'ective engagement with the walls of the opening 21. rlhe inner side of the packing 23 at the. upper and lower edges of the groove 30 seats against the bottom or base 26 of the groove 24 so that the packing 23 has e'ective bearing and sealing engagement with the base of the groove 24. There may be any desired number of openings 31 for passing fluid under pressure into the groove 30. 1n the particular form of the invention illustrated in the drawing there are four equally spaced radiall oppnings 31.

1t is lieved that the utility and practi-v cabilit of the tool joint construction propositively prevent the leakage of Huid between the extension 17 and the walls of the opening 21 so that fluid passing throu h the joint cannot leak past the threads of t e pin 11 and thesocket 13. The groove 24 in the extension is formed so that when the packing .5 23 is actuated or expanded by the fluid under pressure admitted to the groove through the openin s 31 the packing will be tightly compresse against the walls of the opening 21 to form a fluid pressure tight seal. The walls 25 of the groove, being outwardly convergent, cause the packing 23 to be compressed a ainst the inner side 26 of the groove an against the walls of the opening 21. The exposed relieved inner side or groove 35 in the packing 23 is of' greater area than the outer side of the packing so that the fluid under pressure operates to exert a maximum amount of pressure on the sealing face of the packing. The walls of the groove 35 are curved so that the fluid pressure is exerted on the packing in various radial directions relative to the curvature of the said groove. i

A It is to be noted that the invention provides a simple and effective packing means that may be embodied in the usual types of tool joints with very little modification and without weakening or materially complicatin the construction. The extension 17 l0 may readily provided on the pin of the usual tool joint pin section, while the bore of' the socket section of a tool joint may be readily formed to receive the extension.

Having described only a typical referred form of my invention, I do not wis to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may ap ear to those skilled in the art or fall within t e scope of the fol1owing claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A tool joint including, a section having an opening and a socket at one end of the opening, a pin section, a pin on the pin sec-c tion screw' threadedv into the socket, there being a fluid passage through the pin section, an extension on tlie pin extending into the opening, and packing means on the extension for sealing with the walls of the opening including expansiblapacking in an annular groove in the Vextension having outwardly convergent side walls, there being a fluid passage communicatin between thefluid passage in the pinsection and the groove.

2. A tool joint including, a section having an opening and a socket at one-end of the opening, a in section, a in on the in section screw t readed into t e socket, t ere being a fluid passage through the pin section, an extension ony the pin extending into the opening, and packing means on the extension for sealing with the walls of the opening expansible packing in an annular groove in the extension to project from the outer open side of the groove to seal with the walls of the said opening, the side walls of the groove being outwardly convergent, there being a groove in the inner side of the packing and a passage communicating between said fluid passage and the inner side of the. groove in the extension.

3,. A tool joint including, a section having an opening and a socket at one end of the opening, aj pin section, a pin on the pin section screw threaded into the socket, there being a fluid passage through the pin section, an extension on the pin extending into the opening, and packing means on the extension for sealing with the walls of the opening, expaiisibleipacking in an annular groove inthe extension to project from the outer open side of the groove to seal with the walls of the said opening, the side walls of the groove being outwardly convergent, there being a groove in the inner side of the packing and a passage communicating between said fluid passage and the inner side of the groove in the extension, the area of the groove in the packing being greater than the area of. the outer side of the packing.

4. A tool joint including, a section having an opening and a socket at one end of the opening, a pin section, a pin on the pin section screw threaded into the socket, there being a fluid'passage through the pin section, an extension on the pin extending into the openin and`packing means on the extension for sea ing with the walls of the opening, expansible packing in an annular groove in the extension to project from the outer open side of the groove to seal with the walls of the said opening, the side walls of the groove being outwardly convergent, there being a groove in the inner side'of the packing and a LAWRENCE F. BAASH. 

